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Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson was born on the 18th of July 1950, he is an English business magnate best known for his Virgin group of over 400 companies. Branson has a net worth of $4.2 billion through his ownership in Virgin group. Virgins products are Beverages, Airlines, Trains, Games, Consumer electronics, Financial Services, Films, Internet, Cable TV, Music, Radio, Books, Cosmetics, Jewellery, Houseware, Retail, Mobile Phones and Commercial spaceflight.

Branson is powerful because of his wealth and celebrity status, he has influences on millions of people around the world through Virgin group, with the wide range of products they offer. Branson built his empire from the ground up, his first successful business venture was a magazine called Student at age 16.In 1970, he set up an audio record mail-order business. In 1972, he opened a chain of record stores, Virgin Records, later known as Virgin Megastores. Branson’s Virgin brand grew rapidly during the 1980s, as he set up Virgin Atlantic Airways and expanded the Virgin Records music label. Branson is the 4th richest citizen of the United Kingdom and 254th richest person in the world, according to the Forbes 2011 list of billionaires, with an estimated net worth of US$4.2 billion

“My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them…from the perspective of wanting to live life to the full, I felt that I had to attempt it.” Sir Richard Branson.

Branson has set up countless different products for Virgin group; he has worked to offer the world better options for many different things. He has also been involved in many humanitarian initiatives, as well as his newest concept Virgin fuels. Branson pledged to invest the profits of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Trains in research for environmentally friendly fuels. The investment is estimated to be worth $3 billion. Virgin Fuels, which is set to respond to global warming and exploit the recent spike in fuel costs by offering a revolutionary, cheaper fuel for vehicles and, in the near future, aircraft. Branson has stated that he was formerly a global warming sceptic and was influenced in his decision by a breakfast meeting with Al Gore

On 25 September 2004, Branson announced the signing of a deal under which a new space tourism company, Virgin Galactic, will license the technology behind Spaceship One, funded by Microsoft co-Founder Paul Allen and designed by legendary American aeronautical engineer and visionary Burt Rutan, to take paying passengers into suborbital space. Virgin Galactic (wholly owned by Virgin Group) plans to make flights available to the public with tickets priced at US$200000 using Scaled Composites White Knight Two.

Branson has changed the world with his ingenious idea’s and his ability to think out of the box. His influence on so many different products has given his company ‘Virgin group’ an incredible array of influences on so many different people. Sir Richard Branson is a good bloke, helping the world.